The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is currently investigating a fatal crash that claimed the lives of two individuals yesterday morning. According to an official release by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the collision took place near the 7100 block of East W.T. Harris Boulevard in the Hickory Grove Division after 1:30 a.m. Anthony Ayala, 25, the driver of a red 2017 Yamaha FZ-09 motorcycle, was found unresponsive at the scene and was later pronounced dead by MEDIC personnel. Roberto Emanuel Ortiz, 14, a passenger in the involved Ford Fusion, was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and tragically passed away. Two other passengers of the Ford Fusion, Edgar Zabir Gonzalez-Perez, 20, and a 10-year-old juvenile, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver, Sara Perez, reported no injuries.
An ongoing investigation by Detective Pressley of the Major Crash Investigation Unit and the DWI Task Force hints at excessive speed and possible impairment as factors in the crash for Ayala, with toxicology results pending. "Speed and impairment are suspected factors in this collision for the operator of the motorcycle," reads a portion of a statement obtained by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. In contrast, speed and impairment do not appear to be factors for Perez, the driver of the Ford Fusion. Both Ayala and the occupants of the Ford Fusion were reportedly using safety devices, with Ayala wearing a DOT-approved helmet and the car's passengers secured by seatbelts at the time of the collision.
CSS (Crime Scene Search) responded to the accident site to collect physical evidence. The initial investigation indicates that Ayala's motorcycle was traveling southbound on East W.T. Harris Boulevard at a very high rate of speed when it collided with the Ford Fusion, which was traveling northbound and attempting a left turn onto Hickory Grove Road.
The authorities have notified the next of kin for both Ayala and Ortiz. CMPD encourages any witnesses or individuals with information about the crash to come forward. They can reach out to Detective Pressley at (704) 432-2169 Extension 2 or through Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600. Further information, as it develops, will be disseminated by CMPD Public Affairs. The case, which remains active, carries the report number 20250119-0139-01.
